Faith when on the one side the Infidel sees not only several Old Caviliers seveâ—al Zâ—â—lous Church of England menâ— and several persons whofe whole Livelihood depends on the King's wellâ—are question not a liâ—tle by reason of many strange stories in the Narratives manâ— evident dâ—sproofâ—s in Tryals whether His Majâ—sty were really in all this so long talk'd of danger and especially when the Lives poverty parts and odd coming in of the Witnesses happened not â—o be over advanâ—agious to their Testimony to wâ—ich may be also added that all Protestant Embâ—ssadors and Ministers smile at the Noise nor has any Reform'd Prince or State congratulated â—is Majesty's escape as they and their Predecessors have always done when any of our King 's were in real danâ—er I say who can heartily blaâ—e the Infidel when on the one side he sees the â—ing's known â—riends to Hesitate and on the other side finds all the remaining Iudges of Charles I. all that were at Retrive for Charles II. after Worcester Fight all thâ—â— were in Garison in Haberdashers and Goldsmiths-Hall all Venner's Brigadeers and in fine all mankind that are opâ—nly â—aters of the King and Monarchy wonderfully Solicitous for His Majesty's Safety support the Witnesses demand with zeal Iustice on the Conspirators and their ABETTERS and will not only go to fisty-cuffs with any man that doubts or scratches his head at some hard particulars but hang him without mercy if ever he comes under any Iury of Theirs Certainly one may with some reason doubt Miracles which Iews and Iews that never agreed together before so much as in the day of the month promote and crâ— up assuring us all the while that the defence of Christianity is their driâ—t and aim Nay Iews too that fly in the faces of these infallible Witnesses and presently make them the greatest Monsters in Nature if they chance to accuse a Brother of any Villany tho' never so probable or plain To shew yet further the real zeal a True Protestant bearâ— to His Majesty what Magistrate or Magistracy asserts His Kingly Rights whom they have not vilified and Lampoon'd at the very time perchance when they are running down â—ome Servant of His Majesty even upon pretence of his defaming the Justice of the Nation 'T is lawful in them to rail at a Surrey Iury if they censure Mr. Pilkington for discrediting a fellow Citizen They may forsooth without any fault libel some of the eminentest Gentlemen of Essex as corrupt and perjur'd if they find Billingsgate-Hickeringill to have a black and scandalous mâ—uâ—h Nor shall the Oxfordshire Iury-men want Iudgments if Pamphlets can creatâ— them for condemning COLLEDG a Traytor of as rank a smell in a manner as the late Regicides themselves For he was publicly Seditious in his words and he himself confess'd that he came with Horse and Arms to Oxford to guard the Parliament against the Papists and what that means in the mouth of one that reckon'd the Bishops Tantivies and the rest of the King's Friends at least Popishly inclin'd may be easily imagin'd 'T was prov'd also against him that in a Qâ—arrel about the Parliament he said he had lost bloud in the Cause and that more ere long would be lost He said also openly He might for ought he knew be a Colonel shortly Again 't was proved that upon the old sham and pretence of Protestant Religion and Property he was a promoter even by distinctive Ribbons of Ligues and Parties That he was a disperser of Villanous Pictures and Ballads to the King's Dishonour That the first Draught of the Trayterous Libel the RARE SHEW was found in his House That He had given it out to be Printed and that he justified the horrid Proceedings of the Long Parliament even the King's Murther All which and more was made out against him by Witnesses of unspotted Reputation besides the many positive and probable Treasons sworn by Dugdale Smith Turbervil and the rest of his intimate Companions And yet for all this the Miscreant is vindicated by the Party honour'd with a Picture and under iâ— Verses that vilifie the public Iustice in the highest degree But if we come to single Persons who has in the Nation been so harrast and bespatter'd with so many Calumnies and Lyes as Mr. L'ESTRANGE One if we consider his Quality not only of a Family still in being and Eminent among us but as ancient as the Conquest and which is more so Noble and Great then that a Princely House to wit that of Darby deemâ— the Title and Honour it receives thence as the first â—lower in its Câ—ronet If we come to his Breeding He is a Man of â—etters and oâ— excellent Conversâ—tion too Nor was there ever a greater Master of the English Tongue whether we consider the clearness and variety of his Expression or his stupendious celerity in writing Then for his Loyalty which is his great fault and has contracted him all his Enemies He sided early with the lâ—â—e King was in Newgate for Treason also as they call'd it for Him He was esteem'd in the worst of Times by all the Cavaliers as one of their choice Members and as soon as the King return'd by defending the Chuâ—ch He drew all the enrag'd Hornets about his Ears which now shows us further his Fidelity since upon the discovery of any Treachery or â—alshood in him they might have legally excluded him from all Pardon and Indemnity Lastly for his Religion and firmness to the Church of England no man from first to last ever gave gâ—â—aâ—er testimony of it than he being still in the Cap still in the Breach as his disadvantageous Books to Popery show as well as those against the Treachercus and Apostate Children of the Church the most dangerous Enemies by many degrees as the Affairs of the Nation have stood these sevâ—ral years Mr. Prance therefore got as little Credit by accusing him for a Papist as he did by his voluntary and open Confession to the King and Council That what he said of Sir E. Godfrey ' s Murther was false from Top to Bottom Nor could he have invented a more foolish and unlikely place than SOMER SET-HOUSE for Mr. L'Estrange as a conceal'd Papist â—o frequent since â—rotestants of all conditions are daily running thither as they do to the Iews Synagogue to view their Fashions and Ceremonies But what has this Gentleman done to deserve their Barbarous and Republican Usage Why because like a faithful East-Angle or Norâ—olk-man OBSERVING the Danish-Fleet on the Coast their Hinguar and Hubba landed King Edmond and his Family pursu'd he fires the Beacons allarms his Fellow-subjects and thereby defends not only Christian Religion but prevents also the spilling of more Royal Bloud and therefore I dare affirm if ever any body sav'd a Kingdom by a PEN Mr. L'Estrange has really done it Besides we are not only beholden to Mr. L'Estrange and ingenious Heraclitâ—s who follows him close and with long strides for discovering the many
THE LIFE OF BOETIUS Recommended to the AUTHOR OF THE Life of Iulian Flebilis heu mestos cogor inire modos Boet. Consol. Phil. lib. 1. LONDON Printed and are to be sold by W. Davis in Amen-Corner near Pater Noster-Row MDCLXXXIII TO THE READER THo' Loyal Heraclitus who understands wit as well as any and has show'd it also to the cost of many a Seditious and wretched Fop thought some months ago with his Friend Mr. Earnest that telling of stories is a dull sort of mirth Yet I know he cannot but grant that the alternate way is to use Mr. Bays's happy expression extremely Obliging and Civil and Civility we see is a Virtue has been highly esteem'd and with the nicest exactness practic'd by the Pacqueteers Mercuries and rest of the SOBER and Obedient Authors of the Times Meeting therefore t'other day with IVLIAN's SQUIRE who to honour Christianity in general and to shew also in particular His and his Parties Principles of Obedieâ—ce gave me the Recital of his Master's LIFE and Adventures I could not methought without an unpardonable Rudeness and Ingratitude omit longer the telling of my Story which happened in a Town which this Godly Prince once govern'd and about an Age or two after his Religious and pious End The Squires Account is God be thanked now public enough and evinces still further the Inâ—atâ—ation and Folly of the Cabal even as to the very thing they so earnestly design for without a particular and Divine Iudgment how can it be conceiv'd that they who seem'd to idolize Oates and Bedloe as men of Probity and the true Saviours of the Nation should still strive by odious Reflections and their other vain Insinuations to draw His Royal Highness within the Verge of the Plot tho' contrary to the Oaths even of these two Witnesses Must not this Procedure therefore bring afresh into mens minds the business of DON JOHN and PRESTON the married Priest with the other Contradictions which are laid to the Doctor 's charge by the Papists out of every Printed Tryal Will not this too give them a new occasion to tell us how Bedloe swore at his Examination before the Secretaries of State That he knew nothing of the Plot as also thaâ— not having matter enough for a Charge against Whitebread and Fenwic in one Tryal he swears them both Guilty in the next of the highest Treasons imaginable Nor will these Popish Whipsters fail again to rub up our Memory with the 2000 l. offer'd him for his meer help to carry away â—ir E. Goâ—frey's Body and then flop us in the mouth with their Remarks and twit us thatâ— according to his own Testimony there were besides those who were said to do the â—hing as many otâ—er persons then in the Room when the Iesuits show'd him the Corps as could have in a night convey'd it and more Bodies than one to the design'd place or station Thus do these phrantic Scriblers give fresh cause of discourse and consequently pull down what they would fain set up and in their own terms blacken and defame the very Iustice of the Nation But what wonder is there of it when now by woful experience we see no Witness Iury Court Iudge Parliament Law or Magistrate can be so Sacred that will not be presently blasphemed if they sute not with their Gust and Humour This is the Treatise I mean that of JULIAN which is so particularly recommended to us by CARE a wretch that has not only croak'd and disgoâ—gâ—d the utmost Venom which his feeble and macerated Maw could distill against so many of the best of the Gentry and so many of the greatest of the Peers but against the present Heir to the Crown nay against the vâ—ry K in ship it self This is also the Book which CURTIS so often advertizes us of and vindicates too a Villain that durst to the amazement even of the Anarchical Factious bid a POX on His Highness in his public Mercury or Intelligence Since then the Subversion of the Goâ—ernment is evidently meant by their endeavoâ—â—ing to brand and lay aside this Illustrâ—ous Prince for when once Kinâ—ship as has been often â—appily hinted becomes Elective why may not the nâ—xt VOTE upon any new Freak besides a long Train of other Mischiefs be for a new Line or even down-right for a Democracy and Commonwealth I say since this is the Intrigue and the word Pâ—pâ—â—y thâ— Inâ—antation to bewitch the Inconsiderate I doubt not but all good men will now look upon this Mormâ— or fâ—ightful Represeâ—tation with the same Contempt that the â—ovâ—rs of the Machine do themsâ—lvâ—sâ— For besides the Laws which secure the Establishâ—d Religion there are not we know as appears by the survey made some â—ew years sinâ—e â—bove Twenty Thâ—usand Papists or thereaboâ—ts of all Sexes and â—izes in the Kingdâ—m So that if those who are â—it to fight were even â—ogether and in Arms Fifteen hundred Disciplin'd Soldiâ—rs would cut them all to pieces Theâ—e impudent and Sedious Desigâ—s upon pretence of Popery brings therefore to the reâ—embrance of many the Loyalty of the Popish Party during This and the late King's Misfortunes which makes it to be often question'd whether they are generally such Traytors as some would have them thought nor does it add a little to the doubt when they find in the present Pursuit the deepest-mouth'd Hounds to be the Reâ—icidâ—s â— and those that without Palâ—â—ations and Goodmoâ—rows strike at the Root and Life of the Monarchy For my own part I intend by no means the Deâ—ence of the Popish Religion and beseeâ—h God to let the whole Crew see all the Errours of it but if Retaliation and Iustice to our fore-mention'd Historiographer prove by chance serviceable to their Temporal Concerns much good may do them for no honest man tho' never so scrupulous will desist from prosecuting a Burâ—lary because the Iews or Pagan â— who live among us may chance to sleep the quieter and safer for it And who but a new-preâ—ending Patriot will countenance Ryots and the breach of the Peace that the Matrons and Virgins of Whetstones-Park may be the surer forsoothâ— to be disâ—urb'd in Easter and Whitsun-weeks All that I have here further to acquaint the Reader with is That had there not been already so many smart and excellent Reflections on this Prostigate and APOâ—TATE Wriâ—er yet I should never have troubled my â—â—lf with any further dâ—â—â—eâ—â—ion of his idle and malicious Lucubrations than the thus giving hâ—m Story for Story wiâ—h a Comment THE LIFE OF Boetius THE Calamities which Italy that Beautiful and Fertil part of the Vniverse Suffer'd in the Fifth Century from the Incarnation were so great and so many that the Antient Historians look'd upon them as unparallel'd and certainly they had some Reason to think so it having been the Theatre on which all that even their Poets could fanâ—y Dismal by the Ravage and Inhumanity of several Barbarous People was
seem they well knew an Injusâ—ice not to run down every body of the Popes Communioâ— So that at length no Loyal nor Envy'd Goths should escape their hands since besides the Power and Effect of down-right Lies any ordinary Alliance any casual Conversation or any Neighbourly courtesie done to a Romanist would be ground enough of Clamour a Monster not to be resisted when once the Multitude are throughly heated and enraged Thus then according to â—ll-probable Conjecture by the Premisses stood the People generally affected every body speaking and none hearing when Boetius's Affair was brought into the Senate Nor cou'd Magic now or any unlawful Science be needful to find the success of it for as Causinus to this effect asserts Part of the Members of that great Assembly fearing to be deem'd Accomplices Others being mortal Enemies to the Prisoner and the Rest following the Violence of the Stream and Torrent all of them unanimously voted him Guilty notwithstanding the Experience they had of his unparalled Integrity and the insurmontable Objections against the Witnesses For first as to Opilio tho I cannot positively say that having Perjuriously accused others He got out of Prison and so to a foreign Convent or Religious House yet Boetius assures us That he fled after many Misdeeds to the very Horns of the Altar for Sanctuary and so Stole from Ravenna to avoid a Brand or Rogues Mark in his Fore-head which otherwise he was to undergo In the next place as for Basilius the same unquestionable Author declares That he was hunted for his Villanies from Court being also over-loaden'd with many Debts Nay who can tell if all Particulars had been examin'd and known but he might have then been Starving in their Marshalsea or Common Prison even when the said Boetius and his Party were pretended to be most Buisy and consequently besides the Fear of him to have stood in the greatest need of his Help and Service Boetius being as I mention'd found Guilty was presently sent to a close Prison at Pavia his Virtuous Lady according to Causin getting only the Liberty of bidding him Adieu But never did he in the whole Course of his Life after he had once dry'd up the Tears caused by so unexpected an Accident enjoy himself more than in that Confinement for here he made his near Approches to his Creator Here he Storm'd Heaven and took it by Violence and here also in imitation of Cicero who wrote of the Immortality of the Soul upon the loss of his beloved Tullia did he compose as Martianus observes in his Life that famous Treatise De Consolatione Philosophiae a Book which shew'd the Heathen with what Transcendency and Charmsâ— Morality could appear when it once had the Advantage of the Christian Dress and which also discovers his own great Innocence and Candor a grand cause of his Writing it as the said Martianus declareâ—â— His Caâ—se we see was Hard from the beginning to the â—nd but of all the Particulars none seem'd harder to him than these that follow for speaking of the pretended Letters and consequently of the other Accusations He uses these Words Quarum Fraus aperta pâ—tnisset si nobis ipsorum Confessione Delatorum quod in omnibus Negotiis maximas vires habet uti licuisset The meaning of which is That could he have gotten Copies of his Accusers first Narratives Informations Depositions and such like Confessions and Liberty to use them he would by that mosâ— Killing and convincing Evidences have made their Fraud and Perjury Manifest Then in the close of this Section or Paragraph He cries out Videre autem videor nefarias Sceleratorum Officinas Gaudio Laetitiaque fluitantes Perditissimum quemque novis Delationum Fraudibus imminentem jacere Bonos nostri Discriminis terrore prostratos Flagitiosum quemque ad audendum Facinus Impunitate ad efficiendum vero Praemiis incitari That is to say considering the Premisses He could as it were see from his very Prison so many hundred of Miles from Rome how the Nefarious and Profligate Triumpht how every Miscreant stood racking his Fancy for some new Project or other to accuse i. e. how to be a Principle or at least some Collateral and By-Witness Again He saw how Good Men were confounded and dismay'd at the terrour of his hard chance and lastly how the â—lagitious were incited by Impunity to dare at Villanies and then by Rewards to effect them These are some of his Complaints His Enemies having now as they thought gain'd the point glory'd not a little in it but presently they felt themselves at a stand and uneasie for time setling the passions of the giddy Mobile the Artifices of Grandees with the quality and contradictions of the Witnesses began to be generally consider'd and talk'd of Cyprianus a Fellow as villanous in his Pen as Tongue but whether of â—he Clergy or Laity History is silent was now own'd as Causin says to be the Forger of the Letters Nor do Authors mentiâ—n how they came to be interceâ—ted therefore in all probability being directed to Boetius by the Conspirators they privately gave notice that such things were upon â—he Roâ—d and so they were taken by Aâ—thority in the hands of the common Post or Messengâ—r These free and public discourses of the people creating in â—ypriaanus and his Partizans much trouble they by their Patrons attaqu'd the King telling him no doubt That his Evidence or Witnesses must by this Clemency be either vilified and disbelieved or that he himself would be deemed Vnjust or at least negligent of his own and his Subjects Safety For if Boetius were Innocent why should he be a Prisoner If Guilty why not Executed as a Traytor Theodoric upon this presently dispatch'd an Officer to examine Boetius further and to assure him as Causin expresly says That he should find favour would he declare the particulars of the Fact alledg'd against him If not he was to prepare himself forthwith to die But what thing in the world can we conceive able to elevate and transport the over-joy'd Prisoner like this Message For no sooner was it brought him but standing as it were on Tip-toes and exulting in his unexpected good fortune he look'd upon himself now in a much happier state than in his former Prosperity When after three Consulships and the singular Tryumph of his two Sons he was seated between them as all Authors have it in the open Theatre to receive the applause and salutation of the people He therefore desired the King's Officer to tell his Majesty * Tâ—at his Conscience and Age were above Threats and Allurements That there never having been a Plot he could not tell him the Particulars That he did infinitely rejoyce that they now began to know his Accusers so well as to need his Confirmation of their Testimony Then making a Recapitulation of their Lives and Practices he declar'd he was
abominable Lyes and Contrivances against Church and State but for preventing Ten thousand more for these Loyal and Worthy men have after much Fatigue and repeated Out-cries taught the Seditiouâ— Scriblers or rather their Grave Directors a little Orthography that is to spell now and then true a passage not false in every word as also some little caution in their ill-design'd insinuations and Comments since they dare not proceed in their former impudent and prodigious way of vindicating here and defaming there which must had it continu'd have insensibly inflam'd the whole Nation for they now find by woful experrience That Truth will out next day and that all things are at length nay presently answer'd to their loss And now I am mentioning these Excellent men and how outrageously they have been us'd by the KETTS or True Protestant Mechanics of the Age because they zealously stood up as I said for His Majesty and all His faithful Followers and Servants I cannot pass by Mr. DRYDEN's Case since it so particularly shows us according to my Design the Nature and Folly of the Herd who to make some little noise or evasion will run down their very darling Arguments and most specious pretences without the least care or regard for this Gentleman â— looking doubtless upon Neutrality or Idleness as a piece of Ingratitude as well to that Mighty Giver of the Talents He enjoys as to to the Great Monarch who has still been so Indulgent and Kind thought fit to describe the Kingdoms Miseries and their Cause in POEMS that convinced the very Factious in Their Iudgment and tryumph'd over every fâ—culty of theirs excâ—pâ— that Diabolical Will which as we see resists even GOD Himself No sooner then had he publish'd his happy Thoughts which pleas'd many an honest man but the Hornets were presently about him too and to give him as they thought his mortal wound they printed his Elegy upon Cromwel with great clamour and joy But whether they have hurt Him or Themselves most by it I desire the Reader to judge For how hideously have they bawl'd against every Royallist who twitted them and that with great Reason and Necessity with FORTY ONE the KING's MURTHER c. because it intrench'd forsooth on the Act of Indemnity when as that Amnesty or Pardon never intended had man the power of knowing Thoughts and future Actions the forgiving of any but those that were sorry for their former Crimes and consequently resolv'd to be afterwards True Subjects What impudent â—ools therefore aâ—e They who throw the said Elegy into the Author's Dish who has not only the genuine and true Plea of Inconsideration for himselfâ— as being when he wrote it a young Graduate or Boy newly come to Town but also which is much more his latter apparent Duty to his King both in Words and Actioâ—s ought most effectually to vindicate hiâ— Whereas no Transgressors are charged with the late Rebellion or any thing belonging to it but Those who manifestly â—un now to Sanctuary with polluted hands and with their former blackneâ—s of Intention Nay if we consider this Accusation as to Mr. Dryden and interpret it verbatim what can it mean but this You wrote Sir once in praise of Cromwel and therefore are a â—reat Villain for opposing any body that either writes or acts at present against your lawful King and Master And truly thus in effect that is to say as to the matter of Fact stands their Justice to any one whom they decry and calumniate But to draw to a conclusion for the present tho' the Subject abounds with such Supersluitâ— of Matter as to render the sterilest fancy exuberant I will in imitation of the SQUIRE having already given him Preface for Preface Story for Story and Section for Section end my Treatise â— also with my end of writing it which is I must needs say to remind the Reader of our late Miseries and of our happiness by the King's Return To let Him see the True Protestant DESIGN viz. That of Subverting the Gevernment and of bringing us again into our former Bondage under the threed-bare pretences of the fear of Popery to give Him also a short account of their Religion in specâ—lation and practice and then to shew their disobedient Principles and restlessness who will have even JULIAN in their mouths when they themselves are the most abandon'd APOSTATES that ever were And so transcendent and particular are they herein that notwithstanding their publickly owning themselves Seperatists their constantly frequenting Conventicles their openly writing and exclaiming against the Superstition of the Church of England yet for the Office of a SHERIFF shall Mr. Bethel himself go to Church Assist at the Common Prayer and then not only receive the Communion at an Altar surrounded with Rails and from a Priest in his Surpliss but with the horrible as they someâ—imes cry and unsufferable aggravation of Kneeling also What Mercy therefore can the most compassionating Government â—hew to such a sort of People Or what would tender Origen were he alive think could become of them at the Day of Iudgment The Papists have perchance some thing to Moâ—lifie an â—asie Magistrate with when he really seeâ— both Great and Small among them leave Imployments suffer Confiscations endure â—mprisonments and the like for what what they think and call Conscience This also makes several good Men to commiserate not a little the Quakers who believing their way of Worship conformable to Gods command will bear afflction and loss rather than forego it so that 't is evident no Dissenters from the Church of England have any Conscience except these two and therefore none but they could the Legislative Power with prudence Indulge deserve any favour or connivance all the others meeting meerly out of Faction and Interest to the great damage of the Government These are the Motives to wit Interest and Faction that cause the SQUIRE instead of quieting the minds of his Party and endeavouting to bring them to â—heir due Obedience to declare against Gregory's Tears and Prayers and to instill Fear if posible into the Silly and furnish at the same time the harden'd and inveterate with his best pretences these also moved him so earnestly to wish not only the unnatural tearing a â—rother out of the King's Arms who humanly speaking is His sole Bulwark and Defence but to aim by His Exclusion from the Crown at the subversion of our most Fundamental Laws which must certainly have created unexpressible Troubles in our Age and most dismal consequences here after and lastly these made him so malitious against a Prince of Valour a Prince of His word and a Prince of that virtue and conduct that His Goodness has thaw'd the very Orcades and Thule and His matchless Prudence in spight of His late mighty disadvantages rendred Scotland even quiet and united notwithstanding its turbulent temper during the Reigns of Queen Mary King Iames Charles I. and Charles II. till now Nay when every thing is